whiting



(No Model.)

IW. M. WHITING. Belt Clasp No. 243,480.

`Patenti/d June 28,188I.

UNITED STATES PATENTl OFFICE.

WILLIAM M. WHITING, 0E ELIZABETH, NEW JEEsEY,Ass1GNoE To RACHEL L.wHrrrNe, or sAME PLAGE.

BELTwCLASP.

I SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 243,480, dated June28, 1881.

l I Application led November 15, 1880. (Nonodel.)

To all whomt't may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM IVLWHITING, of Elizabeth, in the county of'Union and State of New Jersey, have invented an Improvement inBelt-Clasps, of' which the 'following is a specification.

In Letters Patent granted to me September 21, 1880, N o. 232,428, ametal tube is described for connecting the ends of round belts, the samebeing compressed near the ends to form an inward rib that grasps thebelt near the ends. In this character of tubular clasp diiiculty arisesin introducing the end of the round belt into the tube, because the tubeis parallel throughout, and after the clasp has been applied the end ofthe tube is liable to cut the leather of the belt because it forms asquare or sharp end that is in contact with the belt.

My present invention is made for removing these diculties; and itconsists in a tubular clasp for round belts, having the ends slightlyspread or bell-mouthed, so that the ends of the belt are easily insertedinto the tube, and are pressed therein endwise, and hence will tittightly before the inward rib is made in the tubular clasp. Furthermore,the inward rib is not at the end of the tube', but a small distance fromthe bell-mouthed end, so that there is no sharp angle in contact withthe material composing the belt; hence it is not liable to be cutthereby when in use.

AIn the drawings, Figure 1 is a section of the belt and clasp, of aboutthe ordinary size. Fig. 2 is a section, in larger size, of the tubularclasp a., having the bell-mouthed ends b b, for the reception of theends c of the round belt, of leather or similar material, such asrawhide or catgut, and showing by dotted lines the position of thepinchers. Fig. 3/ represents the outside of the tubular clasp after thesame has been secured upon the ends of the beltI by the external groovesand inward ribs, e, being compressed into the same, as in my aforesaidpatent, with the exception that the bell-mouthed ends b b are allowed toremain, for the purposes aforesaid, instead of the extreme ends of thetube being pressed in. Fig. 4 is a side view of the pinchers employed bylne; and Fig. 5 is a face view of one of the jaws, and Fig. 6 a sideview, both of which latter figures are of a size corresponding to theclasp in Figs. 2 and 3.

In using the pinchers shown in my aforesaid patent, I have found thatthe sharp edges of the semicircnlar recesses are liable to :nip andinjure both the belt and the metal clasp. I therefore make theserecesses semi-ellipses, with the corners and edges rounded,as shown, sothat the pressure can lbe more easily applied to the belt in producingthe peripheral compressions therein near the ends without nipping thematerial, and also the groovesean be compressed in the metallic tubularclasps with facility without the risk of injuring 'the metal.

In- Figs. 4, 5, and 6 thepinchers have handles h k and jaws lm; and o oare the semip elliptical recesses, with rounded edges at 2, forcompressing the belt near the ends, and s s are the semi-ellipticalrecesses, with rounded edges and with ribs s,for compressing thesheet-metal tubular clasps around the ends of the belt, and formingtherein the grooves and interior ribs for holding the belt.

It will be apparent that the bell-mouthed ends pass slightly beyond theperipheral grooves that are compressed into the belt, 'and Y- that whenthe peripheral grooves are compressed into the sheet-metal tube thebellmouthed ends remain, and the metalis forced inwardly into thepreviously-formed grooves, the pinchers having the corners rounded off,so as not to compress the bell-mouthed ends.

` I am aware that rings have been made with the ends flaring; but theywere not of asize or shape adapted to the clasp fora leatherbelt. Mytubular clasp, with both ends ilaring,is of a length equal to at leasttwice its diameter, in order that it may receive sucient ofthe ends ofthe round belt to allow them to be secured firmly. y A

I claim as my invention- 1. As a clasp for connectingy the ends of roundbelts, a metal tube havingboth of its ends bell-mouthed and of' a lengthadapted to clasps, formed with elliptical recesses with ribs 1o receiveand secure the ends of' the belt, as set and rounded corners, as and forthe purposes forth. l set forth.

2. In combinationv with around belt, a metal Signed by me this 6th dayof November, A. tubular clasp having bell-mouthed ends and D. 1880.

inward peripheral ribs near the ends that WM. M. WHITING. grasp thematerial of the belt near its ends, Witnesses: substantialbT as setforth. HAROLD SERRELL,

3. The pinohers for applying the tubular belt- WILLIAM G. MOTT.

